Academic Program

Share This:

Recovery Model

"Nothing about us without us!"

The Recovery Model was developed in order to restructure common mental health practices that aim to pathologize and label consumers of mental health services. Historically, mental illness has been one mechanism to dehumanize communities. The Recovery Model empowers and celebrates consumers by identifying their unique strengths and ways in which they have become resilient in coping with, and surviving, their mental illness diagnoses. The Recovery Model falls directly in line with Aliento's core training philosophy, outreach efforts, and research methodologies. Aliento's three main components of training and education, research, and community outreach all incorporate the underlying principles of the Recovery Model. Ultimately, we hope that through our strength-based infrastructure, we highlight important changes that need to be made systemically in order to better serve underserved and disenfranchised communities. Aliento trains aspiring mental health professionals to empower and give voice to Latina/o clients, while also adding to the body of knowledge from this strength-based vantage point. Additionally, we continuously involve community members in the growth process of the center, whose values are also consistent with the Recovery Model.